What to cut/not cut

Where possible, use settings that only require one pass. The belts have an ever-so-slight amount of looseness, and the second pass will not quite match the first pass. If your cut is small you might be fine, but if it's large, you may get two different closely spaced cuts, ruining your piece.

Material

Engraving

(speed/power/scan gap)

Etching

(vector cutting to draw on the surface, not cut through)

Vector Cutting

(speed/power/frequency)

Cardboard

800/30?/0.2

70/90/ (if focus is good — need higher power for warped cardboard)

Acrylic

500/50

100/20

2mm: 15/75

2mm: 30/70/

2.2mm: 20/60 cut through, works well

0.1": 50/40 is bare minimum

0.1": 50/50 works well

0.1": 25/70/ seems high

3mm: 25/70/

5mm: 4.5/90/ gives nicely rounded edges

5mm: 15/70/

0.221": 7/90 cuts all the way through in one pass

1/8": 12/90; 20/90 didn't cut through

6mm / 1/4" : 4/90 will cut in one pass, with the paper covering removed from the top surface of the acrylic. (I found 8/90 to cut through perfectly –Toby)

9mm: 12/70, 3 passes for best results (also 8/90, 2 passes works 95% of the time, but some little bits don't quite cut all the way through)